Does anybody really know what time it is?

Since the flight to St. Louis leaves this morning, I might miss the NHL’s reaction (if any) to the apparent clock malfunction late in the third period last night. [UPDATE: The Columbus Dispatch and Canadian Press reported this morning that the league is investigating the issue today.] If the embedded clock in the video review is accurate — and there’s no reason to believe it isn’t — last night’s game got extended by at least a half-second, and Drew Doughty’s goal crossed the line with four-tenths of a second remaining. Here’s what Doughty said after the game, probably without having seen the video…

DOUGHTY: “I don’t see why the clock would really stop at 1.8. It’s tough to lose, so to kind of make excuses is kind of normal for people to do, but luckily there was enough time left on the clock and it counted.”

Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch did a nice job of chronicling the controversy from the Blue Jackets’ side in this post, but I’d have to take issue with one thing, which is also mentioned in an NHL.com recap. It was written that Stephen Walkom initially ruled “no goal’’ on the ice. Based on the video below, it appears to me that Walkom signaled “goal’’ and that the other official, Dean Morton, had his arms extended in the final couple seconds, well before the puck was even shot, as if merely to indicate that play was still alive. Perhaps Aaron came about that information from someone in the league. I’m just basing my opinion on the video. Perhaps I’m not seeing something correctly?

Regardless, the goal stood, and this will go into the books as another odd goal involving the Kings. At least it wasn’t a high stick this time. So, what should be the song on the team flight today? “Time Is On My Side,’’ by the Rolling Stones? Or does it have to be “Time Stand Still,’’ by Rush?

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